The number of people that are abusing meth in the US continues to grow with 439,000 Americans age 12 and older abusing the drug in 2011, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The reason for this could be that the ingredients needed to manufacture meth can often be found right in a home medicine cabinet. The lethal ingredients might lurk and no one is the wiser.

It is important to educate parents and other family members on what to look for. The last thing that any neighborhood wants or needs is a bunch of meth users. Typically, those who use meth become aggressive, combative, and violent. Plus, the conditions that meth is made in are very dangerous to any community. The mixing of the lethal combination of ingredients often causes fires and explosions.

Education is a big part of Drug Prevention

Education consists of putting every step forward to help make their communities safer and cut the number of drug related incidents. One step took place in 2005 with the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act. This effort was put in place to limit the amount of pseudoephedrine (PSE) products that can be bought and moved the medicine behind pharmacy counters.

People should eliminate unused decongestants and other household products that are expired or not in use. Regular inventories of medicine cabinets should be a priority in all homes. All expired products should be taken to a pharmacy, police station or a local take-back event.

It is also important that all parents talk with their children about the dangers of not just meth use but all drugs in general. Family dinners are a great place to generate these conversations. Make sure that your kids are involved in activities to keep them busy and off the streets.

Drug addiction can happen to anyone, even your child!

Never say that your child would not be part of something like this and never think, for a second, that these things don’t happen in neighborhoods like yours. Drugs and drug abuse hurts everyone and if you don’t step forward to make a difference, who will?